FIELDPATHS SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Issue 22: September 2016

the Oxford Blue Plaque Board has agreed to a From the Chairman recommendation made by the Society that a Blue Two important events took place in the year 1926: Plaque should be erected to the memory of d’Arcy Dalton, a true ‘Defender and Champion of • April 21st saw the birth of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Public Rights of Way’. For many years the d’Arcy Dalton Princess of York, who as a result of the abdication of family lived at ‘Wyverns’ in Great Milton. A footpath her uncle became our Queen. passes in front of the house so it is fitting that any • And on January 26th 70 people gathered at Oriel walker using it will see our Blue Plaque and be College to discuss the spread of the City of Oxford into reminded of his name and the tremendous contribution the countryside. They were deeply concerned that he made to the preservation of so many footpaths creeping urbanisation was destroying the footpaths and throughout the county. bridleways; what is more, farmers were blocking up This year, as part of its continuing programme to make these rights of way on the grounds that they were no the path network more accessible to all, the Society has longer being used. funded the replacing of stiles with gates, each one The notice advertising the meeting read thus: bearing the Society’s commemorative plaque. You can find our gates at Lyneham and Churchill on the d’Arcy ‘Unless something is done to protect these (rights of Dalton Way, at on the Green Belt Way, and way), many of them will fall out of use and be forgotten. at Chastleton on the Cotswold Way link. The ordinary road has more and more become either dangerous or disagreeable for the pedestrian, hence the Anne Partridge affixes the OFS plaque on a preservation of the footpaths and bridlepaths is more new kissing gate on the d’Arcy Dalton Way at necessary than ever. The latter are generally safer, Lyneham quieter and pleasanter than modern roads and bring one into much closer touch with the real country’. (As true today as it was then.) On that auspicious day it was agreed to form ‘The Society for the Preservation of Footpaths, Bridlepaths and Commons in the neighbourhood of Oxford.’ Although the Society changed its name to the Oxford Fieldpaths Society it has remained true to its founding vision, continuing to walk and to keep open all Public Rights of Way, not only in the vicinity of the city but throughout the whole of the county of Oxfordshire. A founding member was a certain Wytton Perowne d‘Arcy Dalton. As Honorary Assistant Secretary he came up with the idea of producing a map, centred on Oxford, to show all the paths (covering an area of 144 square miles), which the Society considered to be Public rights of Way. He masterminded the entire Photo: Jim Parke project, overseeing publication in 1933 of an initial print- run of 1000 copies. These quickly sold out and 1935 By the time you read this article I hope you will all have saw a reprint of a further 1000 copies. After the Second enjoyed the events organised for this celebratory year. World War, d’Arcy, by then Secretary of the Society, Thanks to the initiative of Adam Willett and Margaret was present at every one of the many hearings called Jones, the whole 66 mile length of the long-distance by the County Council to hear objections by landowners recreational walk, the d’Arcy Dalton Way, will have been to proposals made by the Society to list paths as legally- traversed over the May and the August Bank Holidays. protected Public Rights of Way. At over 130 of these Our 90th Birthday Dinner will have taken place on June hearings d’Arcy was successful in ensuring the legal 17th at the Oxford Golf Club, and two 90th Birthday definition of these paths as Public rights of Way. walks and a celebratory afternoon tea at Checkendon in September. Our grateful thanks go to Sue Crisp and In 1959 d’Arcy became Chairman of the Society and Alison Broadbridge for organising these two events. then President in 1977. I am delighted to record that Chairman – Jim Parke There was much to see in the area; 12th Jim joined the OFS in century frescoes in St. Mary's Church in 2006 and led his first walk Kempley, a minature cathedral of the Arts in April 2009. Co-opted and Crafts Movement at St. Edwards onto the Committee at the Church, an excellent permanent exhibition AGM in 2009, he became on the Dymock Poets in Dymock Church Chairman at the AGM in 2012. Also known and the well preserved manor of Preston as Mr. Clippie because he carries a pair of Court with its Tudor and Georgian facades. secateurs around to snip away at vegetation We spent our two nights at the Cotford growing on paths around stiles, bridges, Hotel, a Gothic Victorian house set in a gates and finger posts. landscaped garden at the foot of the Malvern Hills. It was built in 1851 as the Dymock Weekend summer residence for the Bishop of Worcester; this tells you something about April 1-3 2016 the comfort and welcome we received at the hotel. Its second great attraction was its excellent French style cuisine and we would all recommend it to anyone wanting a treat when travelling through the area.

Photo: Jean Wykes On April Fool’s Day we set off for Queen’s Wood Car Park, near Kempley in Gloucestershire, to rendezvous with ten other members, to explore the Dymock Photo: Jean Wykes Poets’ Way 1 and 2, the Daffodil Walk and the Three Choirs Way. It was a trip down memory lane to see hedges covered in frothy billows of white On the cusp of March into April we had blossom instead of being flayed back to the plenty of mad March winds and lots of April trunk; the wood anemones providing a showers to challenge us that Friday cream carpet between the glorious golden afternoon. By mid-day on Saturday the sun wild daffodils growing in profusion, none of came out and our spirits rose even when we them trampled but respected; the large dozen walkers sought the various way agricultural complexes and barns still markers, few of which unfortunately, seemed agriculturally used instead of being gentrified to exist. for weekend city dwellers. The Dymock Poets, John Drinkwater, Coming from urban Oxford, the rural Edward Thomas, Wilfred Gibson, Rupert weekend was a very refreshing uplifting Brooke, Lascelles Abercrombie, and Robert experience. Thank you to all who shared Frost inspired us as we walked along, and their time and knowledge to make it a very some of our members who loved their poetry memorable weekend, uplifting one’s soul. recited them to the rest of us. Edward Thank you so much, Eme, for organising, Thomas had written of a pastoral way of life and keeping a gentle nurturing hand on it, so which was beginning to disappear: I wonder we could all fulfil our different agendas for how he would react to our 21st century the weekend. factory farming? Jean Wykes

President – Sir Hugo Brunner All leaders make a concerted effort to arrive After a long career in well before the official start time to ensure a publishing, Sir Hugo was quick check through of details of the walk made the Lord Lieutenant and boots on and ready to go, but even the of Oxfordshire in 1996, a best laid plans can unravel, especially this role he continued in until year, with the roadworks around Oxford. 2008. He became the However, no-one expected that there would president of the Society in be difficulties in getting to the Bluebell walk June 2013. in Nettlebed this year as most of us would avoid the bottlenecks on the ring road. Cabling work along the A4074 near Dymock Days Shillingford roundabout caused chaos, huge Humble to follow the ways of those Dymock poets. queues in each direction, with lights on the We walked and talked from Queen’s Wood to Kempley. roundabout in a four way sequence, letting Across fields of red Gloucestershire mud, few cars through on each change. And unmarked pathways to Dymock Church. This resulted in the walk starting half an hour We walked, we twelve, in early April sun and wind. late but those who made the effort to remain Traversing meadows profuse with natural daffodils; Low of stature, groups and patches, patient in the queue were rewarded with a Bright along the banks and hedge sides. lovely walk, beautiful vistas of bluebells making the floors of the beech woods a The whirring call of Curlews, The mew of Buzzards carpet of colour and wonderful scent in the Winging the air, air. Hovering above us. Stopping for lunch Returning by evening Malvernwards; To read and talk of those great poets Whose presence echoed there. Janice Ure

Webmaster – Adam Willett Adam took over as webmaster in 2010. He was co-opted onto the committee being formally elected in 2011. Shortly after this, he took on managing the social accounts allowing them to be separated from the main Society accounts. Photo: Liz Adams Bluebells and Bottlenecks 2016 Two weeks later there was no sign of the road works and everyone arrived on time for the walk around Sonning and Shiplake. Liz Adams

Committee member – John Eyre John joined the OFS in 1992 and led his first walk in June 1993. He was voted onto the Committee at the AGM in 1999; audited the annual accounts for 1999; became Treasurer in 2000 and continued in this post until 2012 when he became an ordinary member of the Committee. Photo: Liz Adams

Publicity – Janice Ure gates, stiles, bridges, steps and I help with publicity; See fingerposts. Because many reported my design for a car problems are related to these structures, window sticker to help to it is particularly useful to be able to publicise O.F.S and to help pinpoint the exact location of, and to with recruitment. comment upon, the structure in question. Secondly, previously, whereas the information had to be inputted manually, the description of the problem is directly transferred electronically into the Countryside Access Team’s database (after being checked by the relevant Field Officer). As a result there is a considerable saving of officer time in handling and processing the information. When using the procedure for the first time it is necessary for the individual to set up an account, giving an email Publicity – Margaret Jones address and a password. This is so that Margaret is in charge of an automatic response can be sent from publicity for the Society. the Access Team to the reportee, and for She organises our the latter to receive updates on how the attendance at shows and reported problem is being dealt with. The publicises our walks in ‘report a path problem’ website address is local newspapers. https://camsv.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

New System for Reporting Path Problems It is suggested that you bookmark this address, or add it to favourites, in your list Members will know that, for some years, of websites. I also have an electronic it has been possible to report problems copy of a Guide to Using the CAMSweb on paths to the Countryside Access which I will send to any member who Team by using an on-line procedure. This emails me. [email protected] method uses an interactive countryside access map which shows all the Public Finally, it would be helpful, when the Rights of Way. It is possible to zoom problem is being typed into the relevant down onto a particular path and identify box, if you would indicate that you are a the precise location of the problem and member of the OFS and/or a Parish Path the number of the path. Once the location Warden. of the problem has been found and the Jim Parke grid reference noted,( to the nearest square metre), a written description of the Minutes Secretary – Sue Crisp nature of the problem is typed in a box. Sue has been an OFS This is then automatically emailed to the member for about 20 years County Council’s Countryside Access and a Committee member Team, who will enter the problem onto for nearly as long. She was the Team’s database. Walks Organiser for 10 Introduced in March 2016, the new years, and also planned procedure is very similar but has two and led many of the group major improvements: residential trips. She took over as minutes secretary when Jim became chairman but The first is that the interactive map shows still arranges some social events, like the details of the path infrastructure, i.e., annual golf club dinner, and leads walks.

Treasurer – Mike Wykes 5. And the bramble got tangled and ravelled Mike is a fusion energy and twined, until no thing could pass consultant and as through; but however hard he strove treasurer of OFS, he there was no way in which he could get ensures the smooth knotted. financial operation of the 6. And the Lord said to the bramble, Society and energetically “Because you have not obeyed my keeps the accounts in commandment, and have become good order! ravelled, and tangled, and twined, but not knotted, Diversions, etc 7. You will forever be twined, and ravelled, I have objected, again, to the order on and tangled; and you shall grow low to Churchill FP4, which was re-issued in its then ground, and a hindrance and original form with the typo sending the nuisance to all who try to pass by; and all diversion into Cuxham uncorrected. The the trees of the forest shall rule over you”. quality of their diversion maps, when related 8. And so it came to pass, that all the trees to the planning applications, remains of the forest grow taller than the bramble, abysmal (this is partly due to the quality of through which nobody can pass because the developers’ site plans as well). it is tangled, and twined, and ravelled; but The claim for Islip FP18 to the sports field, never knotted to this day. originally set up by Janice Ure’s father in the David Godfrey 1950s, has been confirmed. Other Matters General Secretary – David Godfrey The legislation relating to claims for rights of David is the general way that are not yet on the Definitive Map is secretary for the Society, set to change. The details were set out in last preparing the annual year’s Newsletter, but the change is not yet report. He is also Cherwell in force because the regulations have (as I District Secretary and write) not yet been agreed; we are expecting keeps track of the many these to come into force soon. I have a diversions and footpath number of candidates which need further problems across the examination, including one passing close to county as well as Campsfield Detention Centre, and one in representing the Society at many meetings Wardington to the county boundary near such as the Rights of Way Monitoring Group. Chacombe. All paths which were in existence prior to 1949 need to be claimed, including those in council estates built before that date. District Secretary – Nick Moon And if you were wondering how a well-known hazard came into being … Nick Moon first joined OFS in 1973 when he was a 1. And the trees of the forest did contend student and volunteered to before the Lord, to become king of the assist Peter Johns in forest, and the bramble said unto the surveying paths in South Lord, “I shall be king of the forest”. Oxfordshire. He continued 2. And the Lord said unto the bramble, “Go in that role, despite being forth and multiply”. out of the country for 9 months of the year from 1980 onwards, later 3. And the bramble went forth and joining the Committee and taking over from multiplied, so that all the trees Peter as District Secretary when he retired. complained to the Lord, as there was no Since Derek Hallam died, he has also been room for them to grow; and the bramble acting as caretaker for Oxford City. said, “I shall be king of the forest”.

4. And the Lord said to the bramble, “Get knotted”.

Newsletter Editor – Lesley Fraser producing a map, at a suitable scale of 2 My brief is to collect and miles to the inch and covering some 144 collate your contributions square mile in area, centred on the City to the newsletter. of Oxford, which would show all those footpaths which the Society deemed to be PRoWs. It took two years to compile because d’Arcy Dalton, assisted by 2 Submission to the Oxfordshire Blue fellow committee members, needed to Plaques Scheme check the route of every path that was to Col. Wytton Perowne d’Arcy Dalton (1893 – be shown on the map before it was 1981) printed by the Ordnance Survey. The first Two very important contributions were edition, published in 1933, ran to 1,000 made by d’Arcy Dalton toward the copies. It quickly sold out and a reprint of preservation and enhancement of a further 1,000 followed in 1935. Oxfordshire’s Public Rights of Way The Oxford Society was the fourth local network. Firstly, in 1933 he was society of the National Association of responsible for the production of a map Footpaths, Bridlepaths and Commons (reprinted in 1935), showing in clear Preservation Societies to publish such a detail those footpaths and bridle paths map, the others being North Wirral, which the then Oxford and District Middlesex and Buckinghamshire (Barnet Footpaths, Bridlepaths and Commons area), and Watford. Cambridge followed Preservation Society deemed to be public in 1935. This map was of great rights of way. Secondly, he worked significance as, by highlighting in red tirelessly throughout the period 1949 – those paths deemed to be PRoWs, it 1958 to ensure that as many P[ublic] emphasised the PRoW network. R[ights] o[f] W[ay] as possible received The rapid sale of the first print run legal protection through being included demonstrated the interest of the general on the Definitive Map and listed on the public and gave a tremendous boost in Definitive Statement. publicity to the work of the Society. Upon The inter-war years saw a rapid decline in the death of Roby in May 1940 d’Arcy the public use of footpaths and bridle Dalton was elected Secretary. Later, paths and there was grave concern that if d’Arcy Dalton being on war service, the this process continued large sections of affairs of the Society were handled by a the network would be lost for ever. The Mr G.A Bennett. Immediately after the Oxford and District Footpaths, war ended d’Arcy Dalton returned as Bridlepaths and Commons Preservation Secretary and in 1945 oversaw the Society thus came into being in 1926. Its production and publication of a further primary aim was the organisation of a edition of the PRoW map. This edition too programme of regular walks, coupled with was very well received. the determination to challenge any However, d’Arcy Dalton’s greatest attempt by farmers and landowners to contribution to Oxfordshire’s PRoW obstruct or close off any of the footpaths. network came about in the post-war The Society numbered some of the great period following the 1949 legislation of and the good of Oxford and its environs the National Parks and Access to the among its officers, but the real work was Countryside Act. This Act imposed on done by the Secretary F. C. Roby, and County Councils the obligation to prepare especially by d’Arcy Dalton as Assistant in three stages, Draft, Provisional and Secretary. They were assiduous in Definitive, Maps showing all those following up any reports that came to footpaths which needed to be registered their notice of paths that were in danger. as PRoWs. The two County Councils of It was d’Arcy Dalton who had the idea of

Oxfordshire and Berkshire devolved to (including ) and in Wallingford each parish council the responsibility for town. identifying, and listing in detail, all the D’Arcy Dalton, having joined the PRoWs in its area. Footpaths Society as one of its founding This process started in 1950 and took up members in 1926, continued as member all of d’Arcy Dalton’s time. As Secretary for 55 years until his death in 1981. He of the Society he took a lead in assisting became Chairman in 1959 and in 1977 any parish councils who requested help President of the Society. In 1986 a long- in compiling the lists of PRoWs. The distance (60+ miles) way across the Society’s pre-war map proved to be of Oxfordshire Cotswolds from inestimable value in identifying every path Wormleighton (Warks.) to The Ridgeway in those parishes shown on it which was at Wayland’s Smithy was named in his considered to be a PRoW. In June 1953 honour. He was also a member of the Oxfordshire published its Draft Map. The executive committee of both the CPRE County Council received objections - (which stood for Council for the mainly from farmers and landowners - in Preservation of Rural England at that respect of 497 paths. The Society itself time) and the Oxford Preservation Trust, claimed 135 paths which had been and it was with his help that the Oxford excluded by the County Council from its Area Youth Hostels Association was Draft Map. established. During the years 1954, 1955 and 1956 Thus d’Arcy Dalton was instrumental in d’Arcy Dalton attended full-day hearings saving many miles of PRoWs which dealing with over 130 paths at various otherwise would have been lost to the parish centres, including some of those successive generations of Oxfordshire claimed by the Society. This involved a walkers and horse riders who use and great deal of research, for in every enjoy them today, and will continue to do disputed case d’Arcy Dalton needed to so in the years to come. For all his prove the validity of the Society’s claim. squirearchical name and military This was often found in the records of background, he was a real man of the enclosure awards. Further evidence people. His great legacy is as the came from interviewing possible indefatigable, fearless champion and witnesses who could claim many years defender of Oxfordshire’s rights of way, usage of the disputed paths. Apart from and it for this that the Oxford Fieldpaths those settled at the hearings, the Society Society would like to nominate him for a was successful in 57 contested cases of Blue Plaque. For many years he lived at paths, failing in 12. ‘Wyverns’ (now called ‘The Limes’) in Some notable successes were in respect Great Milton, OX44 7NJ. of the entire Thames towpath from Jim Parke Henley to Oxford, the Pinkhill Farm and Lock path, the Wick Farm bridleway and Membership Secretary – Gwyneth Tyson the bridleway from Great Milton to Gwyneth is in charge of Haseley. The survey started later in North keeping track of the Berkshire where hearings on the Draft Society’s membership, in Map were not held until 1957-8. D’Arcy particular collating all the Dalton again attended 8 of these, not only subscription payments. claiming 25 paths in Abingdon Rural District on behalf of the Society, but also contesting owners’ objections. As a result many paths were saved, especially within the parishes of and Wootton

Garsington Plaque Walk Everett, the Parish Path Warden of On June 22, as part of the Summer Garsington, who has acted as the project Programme, the Society organised an manager of the scheme. evening walk to attach plaques on four new Also we were pleased to see there Mavis kissing gates situated on the Oxford Green Cornes, a Society member who lives in Belt Way in the Parish of Garsington. Garsington. The plaques record the financial contribution Michael Payton and John Eyre affixing a of just over £1000 towards their purchase plaque at a Garsington gate and installation. The four gates have replaced stiles along a half-mile stretch of the Way. The donation was part of the on-going policy of the Society, under its donate-a-gate scheme, to replace stiles with gates, particularly on the important recreational long-distance footpaths in the County. This year has seen similar schemes on the d’Arcy Dalton way at Churchill and Lyneham, and also the Cotswold Link path at Chastleton. Arthur McEwan-James, Tina Everett and Jim Parke Photo: Jim Parke The commemorative plaque was fixed to the first gate and from here the group continued downhill from the village along the OGBW, affixing plaques on the other three new kissing gates. Still in pleasant evening sunshine the group returned to Grenoble Road via the Roman Road bridleway. The installation of the gates was carried out by Buryhook Countryside Management. In addition to funding from the Society, the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE2) made a financial contribution with funds from Photo: Liz Adams Grundon Waste Management. The Garsington plaques walk started in Garsington village also has a volunteer stile Grenoble Road. We were pleased to group who assisted in clearing away the welcome to the walk Arthur McEwan-James, vegetation prior to the gates’ installation. County Field Officer South-West, whose area of responsibility includes Garsington. Arthur Jim Parke has given valuable technical assistance and advice on the type of gates and details of Walks Organiser – Liz Adams approved installation contractors. Another After 20 years of living in guest walker was Gordon Garraway, Australia OFS has given Footpath Officer of the Council for the me the chance to Protection of Rural England. It was the reacquaint myself with the CPRE who created the fifty mile OGBW beauty of the local around Oxford. countryside. I am always very happy to help In glorious evening sunshine, the group used members who would like to lead a walk. I am various footpaths and bridleways to reach hoping that you will be able, in return, to give the first gate on the OGBW at its junction me a couple of walks for the next with Oxford Road in the village of Programme. Garsington. There we were met by Tina